Albanese: Labor should learn from Hawke-Keating era
Grayndler MP Anthony Albanese has used the unveiling of a new mural of Bob Hawke to point out how Labor can learn from the Hawke-Keating era if the party wins Government
Grayndler MP Anthony Albanese has used the unveiling of a mural of Bob Hawke to point out how Labor can learn from the Hawke-Keating era if the party wins the federal election.
In the latest mural by artist Scott Marsh, the titan of Australian politics is depicted on the wall of the Carlisle Castle pub in Newtown holding a beer, bare-chested and wearing short sport shorts alongside the words ‘Nice day for a cold one’.
Mr Albanese said Mr Hawke’s leadership demonstrated how a Government needed to stay in power for consecutive terms in order to achieve reformist policies which stand the test of time.
“In order to really change the country, you need to entrench reforms and what we saw with many of the reforms I was proud to be a part of under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard is that with the change of government, they weren’t as entrenched as they could have been, including the superannuation changes and of course action on climate change,” Mr Albanese said.
“We will have an opportunity to change the country again in the next few months and I think the task for Labor is to learn from what we did last time over six years of good government, but make sure it is more like the Hawke and Keating governments which existed for over a decade.”
Mr Albanese said their longevity helped see the creation of a “strong economy”, Medicare, compulsory superannuation, an increase in the social wage and reforms around gender equality.
“We saw the number of young people finishing school go from three out of 10 to eight out of 10, a revolutionary change,” he said.
“We saw universities open up in terms of access to people from working-class backgrounds. We saw apprenticeships and trade support.”
Not to mention Hawke’s amazing ability to skol a schooner — the mural also pays homage to his co-founding of beer company Hawke’s Brewing Co.
Mr Albanese, who used to live on Chelmsford St, said the artwork also reflected the two things the inner west “is best at in Australia”; the arts and craft beer.
He said: “One of the creative forms that is the most democratic I think is murals because they cost nothing to see, they are there, they are part of the community and Scotty has made a number of contributions.
“This is one of the ones that I could open,” he said. “Not all of them perhaps would have been as uncontroversial as this, but I am very pleased to do so.”
The pub also holds a special place for Mr Albanese. It’s where he held his 40th birthday party and a wake for his mother.
“This is a part of the community for locals and people who have been locals, I now live all the way at Marrickville,” he said.
“I have lived all over the world — Newtown, Camperdown and Marrickville, and the Carlisle Castle remains a favoured watering hole.
“It is one of those pubs of Sydney too that it is not on a main street. It’s part of the community.”
Driver disqualified until 2078 spared after ‘horrific’ accident
A mechanic caught driving disqualified more than 20 times has been warned to not “hide behind” a shocking workplace accident which left him with third-degree burns to 85 per cent of his body.
‘Ghetto of deformed murals’: Why public art is dividing Sydney suburb
Locals have aired mixed opinions over a Sydney council’s plan to paint a mural on the entire side of an inner city house with some residents fearing it will turn the suburb into a “ghetto”.